Following the “demise” of the General Public Service Charter from 1996 by Founding President Sam Nujoma, former Ombudsman Advocate John Walters witnessed that government and ministers are all guilty for non-responsiveness. As a result, the Office of the President promised in writing about two years ago that the Office of the Prime Minister would launch a “new and functional General Service Charter”, but it still did not happen. (We assume public expectancy from public offices will at least increase services by more than 50% or more.)
Consequently, the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development never took custodianship of local authorities. All town councils in Namibia find themselves without service charters and in total disarray. All communication, like to former minister Sophia Shaningwa, minister Peya Mushelenga and current minster Erastus Uutoni, therefore, remained unanswered. So, the local authorities and ministries operate without functional public service charters, meaning no public official is held accountable on for example the embezzlement of public funds, including corruption.
For example, the Grootfontein municipality is an organisational structure, promulgated through Article 18 of the Namibian Constitution, but plagued by known and unsolved files of alleged maladministration and corruption cases by former and current councillors and staff, including past and current CEOs. For that reason, the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development conducted an investigation for years 2015/16 and 2018/19.
The bone of contention
On 21 June 2021, a legal advisory report received from a questionable contract by legal company Kangueehi and Kavendji Incorporated still awaits implementation. To my knowledge, only one piece of advice is implemented so far, which is the court order to evict hawkers from the Grootfontein CBD. The remaining, unimplemented legal advice is the bone of contention for endless infighting by Grootfontein municipal staff and the CEO.
Public meetings don’t take place at all. Likewise, town council minutes, which are public documents, are expensive to obtain, with an unaffordable price of N$7.50 per page for ordinary, already poor and unemployed residents. Regardless of these unlawful and corrupt practices, minister Uutoni apparently tries to cover up atrocities committed by the accused and suspended Mr Kisco Sinvula.